Raimundo Fagner Cândido Lopes (born in Orós, Ceará, October 13, 1949) is a … Read Full Bio ↴Raimundo Fagner Cândido Lopes (born in Orós, Ceará, October 13, 1949) is a Brazilian singer, composer, musician, actor and music producer. He is commonly known by the stage name Fagner.

The youngest of the five children of José Fares, Lebanese immigrant to Brazil, and Dona Francisca, Fagner was born in Fortaleza, the capital of the state of Ceará, although his birth was recorded in Orós.

At the age of five years he won a youth competition at a local radio station. As a teen, he formed vocal and instrumental groups and began to compose his own music. In 1968 he won the Festival de Música Popular do Ceará (Popular Music Festival of Ceará) with his song "Nada Sou" (I am Nothing).

In 1971 he moved to the capital Brasília, taking first place in the Festival de Música Popular do Centro de Estudos Universitários de Brasília (Popular Music Festival of the University Studies Center of Brasília) with his piece "Mucuripe" (with collaborator Belchior), which was later recorded by artist Elis Regina, and became Fagner's first notable success as a composer. He won prizes in other categories with additional pieces, as well.

He has had a distinguished career as a performer, singer, songwriter and composer for over 3 decades, and is also known for his collaborations with other MPB artists such as Caetano Veloso, Roberta Miranda, Chico Buarque and others.

Súplica Cearense
Fagner Lyrics

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Oh! Deus, perdoe este pobre coitado
Que de joelhos rezou um bocado
Pedindo pra chuva cair sem parar

Oh! Deus, será que o senhor se zangou
E só por isso o sol se arretirou
Fazendo cair toda chuva que há

Senhor, eu pedi para o sol se esconder um tiquinho
Pedir pra chover, mas chover de mansinho
Pra ver se nascia uma planta no chão

Meu Deus, se eu não rezei direito o Senhor me perdoe,
Eu acho que a culpa foi
Desse pobre que nem sabe fazer oração

Meu Deus, perdoe eu encher os meus olhos de água
E ter-lhe pedido cheinho de mágoa
Pro sol inclemente se arretirar

Desculpe eu pedir a toda hora pra chegar o inverno

Desculpe eu pedir para acabar com o inferno
Que sempre queimou o meu Ceará

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Fagner's "Suplica Cearense" are a heartfelt plea to God from a poor man who has been praying for rain to fall continuously in the Ceará region of Brazil. The man is asking for forgiveness for his inadequacies in prayer, as he is unsure if his requests have been too demanding, leading God to withhold the much-needed rain. He asks for just enough rain to grow plants and improve the condition of the land.

The man apologizes for his constant pleading for the sun to hide behind the clouds so that the rain can fall, and for his tears of despair and frustration as he asks God to save his region from the scorching sun and ongoing drought. He ends by saying sorry for persistently asking God to end the harsh, hot conditions that have always plagued the Ceará region.

One interesting fact about this song is that it was written by Luiz Gonzaga, a famous Brazilian musician known as the "King of Baião." Another is that the song has been covered by multiple artists in Brazil, including Elis Regina, who gave it a new twist with a jazzier arrangement. "Suplica Cearense" has also become a sort of regional anthem for Ceará, as it reflects the everyday struggles of its people.

Line by Line Meaning

Oh! Deus, perdoe este pobre coitado
Oh God, please forgive this poor wretch

Que de joelhos rezou um bocado
Who knelt down and prayed for a while

Pedindo pra chuva cair sem parar
Begging for the rain to fall without stopping

Oh! Deus, será que o senhor se zangou
Oh God, did you get angry

E só por isso o sol se arretirou
And so the sun withdrew

Fazendo cair toda chuva que há
Causing all the rainfall there is

Senhor, eu pedi para o sol se esconder um tiquinho
Lord, I asked for the sun to hide for a little while

Pedir pra chover, mas chover de mansinho
Ask for rain, but rain softly

Pra ver se nascia uma planta no chão
To see if a plant could grow on the ground

Meu Deus, se eu não rezei direito o Senhor me perdoe,
My God, if I didn't pray right, forgive me

Eu acho que a culpa foi
I think the blame was